Thanks to those of you who voted for me last week, I broke my LJ Idol "Top Ten" losing streak. Luckily, the round's two frontrunners also stayed in, surviving a late voting surge. It's always tough this late in the competition—all the writers are good, and the eliminations are miserable.

So, for this week's entries the remaining eight writers paired up to work together. lrig_rorrim and I had all kinds of fun collaborating on our stories. But now for the ugly twist: in thinking we were doing an "intersection," we each inadvertantly picked our competitor for this round. NOBODY is happy about this, especially as most of us were working with good friends whose work we love. Ugh. I've been consoling myself with chocolate ever since the voting announcement came out.

Better news: my bike is behaving itself again, since what it mostly needed was major tightening of the derailleurs after new cables were put on (they stretch a lot at first). I was able to bike yesterday without trying to avoid any iffy gears. I still have to eventually replace my shoes, but I am not above using duct tape (albeit in decorative fashion) to temporarily suit my needs.

HalfshellHusband and I finished watching S3 of the BBC's Luther. Episode three was heartbreaking (I'm still unhappy about it), and this season's "love interest" didn't really work. Still, so much fantastic acting, and the storytelling is gripping. Definitely more satisfying than the trainwreck that is S7 of Burn Notice. Honestly I can't fathom who thought fans would enjoy any part of the S7 storyline. It's been almost pure aggravation.

Books: I finished Imaginary Enemy (a good YA novel), I started Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls, and I'm trying to resist re-reading The Hot Zone (which is in the house, so I may lose that battle). New Jack Reacher novel at the gym, and I'm still working on the book of short stories by the bed. But I picked up a few more grown-up books at the library, so a changeover may happen soon.

Of all the things that have happened in Idol that I haven't liked, I hate this one the most. I just think it's evil-- and not in a "fun" kind of evil, just in pure evil. I'm really kind of shocked by it.

There's nothing to cap off working with someone and enjoying the whole thing like being backed into an arbitrary, stupid corner like that. So much hate. :(

Glad you liked it! I had so much fun writing that thing, and working with my partner.

After the two-week "write 17 things because I say so", you probably wouldn't be able to help laughing at that twist, so long as you weren't still playing the game. But still, hell that involves purely your own efforts vs. hell that involves inadvertantly feeling like you and a friend are screwing each other over... they're very different, in my mind. :(

I didn't laugh re the twist, but it doesn't surprise me -- we've needed something like this for awhile now. I just don't like it when half my friends are involved in it!

I gave up on Burn Notice ages ago. Some shows should die a natural death, and the BN missed it IMO.

This weekend? I'm working Sunday, SO's at PT Job all weekend, I've got to ice/decorate those @#)$$@& cupcakes today, and we're taking Max to the vet because he's got some kind of eye infection. I hope it hasn't mutated :eek:

I just don't like it when half my friends are involved in it!lrig_rorrim and I were talking about it in chat last night.

When it's on a TV show, and you're purely a spectator, that kind of twist is one thing. But when the participants are also the voters, it just falls flat as any kind of "funny". And sucks so much. :(

You're working the MIDDLE day of the weekend? Argh. And the cupcakes... has SO learned his lesson? I was hoping that M would flake completely and leave you in peace.

Hope Max's eyes will be all right. Our bunny has had an eye infection for ages that drops didn't fix, and neither did antibiotics, so we need to contact the vet again and ask for stronger stuff. Wish we'd known it was that instead of just itchiness. :(

Yep, lucky me :p I probably won't be working Monday, though, because of the holiday (god forbid I should get time-and-a-half two days in a row!)

I was hoping she'd flake too, and I think she would have had SO NOT reminded her to give him the bag of ingredients. She had them, but had forgotten to bring them with her to work. She lives next door to the pizza place :p

They're not sure what's going on with Max's eye. The cornea isn't damaged, thank god, but there's definitely some kind of infection in there. I have to put goop in his eye 3x/day for the next week, then we go back to the vet. This is going to be an adventure...

I should've seen the twist coming because I was somehow having a strange feeling about the intersection, but got caught up with it just like last time. It really sucks. At least I had a blast writing it, and exposing Gary for the evil overlord he is BEFORE he even got the poll up.

Weekend will be trying to shake the sickness and rest before the return of my daughter and back to school.

because I was somehow having a strange feeling about the intersectionYour intuition was definitely working better than everyone else's, then!

At least I had a blast writing it, and exposing Gary for the evil overlord he is BEFORE he even got the poll up.Can't wait to read this! Sounds like Meta in the works.

So, is your daughter just starting her school year next week? That was the traditional timing (in the U.S.) when I was growing up, but our local area keeps pushing the date farther and farther back into August, which I think is an awful idea in so many ways. This year's start date was August 15th. :(

It just felt off. I never really pay attention to these things until after the fact though and go "duh".

I write a meta like that every year. Gary is used to it, it doesn't stop him unfortunately :( he used to pay special attention to them though.

School has, as far as I can remember, always started on sept 1st (or the next available date if it's a Sat or Sunday, sometimes even when it's a Friday). University used to be much later but that's a date that they keep pushing back into September. There have been a lot of talks over the years of making summer holidays shorter (they are standard 2 months, everyone gets out at latest 30th June), but it's not happened so far.